Catholic Church abuse

The Catholic Church in Victoria has admitted it's recived nearly a hundred complaints of abuse in the past 12 months.

Transcript

EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: The Catholic Church in Victoria has acknowledged it has received a flood of new child abuse complaints over the past 12 months. But it says most of the nearly 100 cases relate to abuse alleged to have occurred decades ago. Nevertheless, the Church has removed one serving priest from his parish after a complaint against him was upheld. Frances Bell reports.

FRANCES BELL, REPORTER: The Catholic Church says it's releasing the information in the interests of transparency.

SHANE MCKINLAY, CATHOLIC CHURCH SPOKESMAN: There's no point hiding any of this. It's awful and appalling stories to hear, but there's - it just makes it worse to hide it.

FRANCES BELL: 95 complaints were made in the 12 months to June. So far, 43 of them have been upheld. That's about double the number of upheld complaints for each of the previous four years.

The Church and victims groups believe the increase is linked to publicity surrounding the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into child abuse and the royal commission.

WAYNE CHAMLEY, BROKEN RITES: It's been sort of writ large, I think, in the public consciousness, as it needs to be. And it will remain so.

FRANCES BELL: The complaints were made through the Church's pastoral processes and relate to alleged abuse between the 1940s and 1990s.

Seven complainants have chosen to go to police.

But the chief commissioner says all new evidence of abuse should be handed over, even for historical cases.

KEN LAY, CHIEF COMMISSIONER, VICTORIA POLICE: If there is serious criminal offending occurring, particularly sex offending against children, we need to understand it, we need the opportunity to speak to these people.

FRANCES BELL: The Church says almost all of the new complaints were against known offenders. It says of the few new names, most of them have since died, but one alleged perpetrator was still actively serving in a parish.

The priest was withdrawn from his duties and his parish notified while the Church investigated.

SHANE MCKINLAY: At the conclusion of the investigation when the complaint was upheld, he was withdrawn permanently from the parish and the police were notified by the independent commissioner of the Melbourne response.

FRANCES BELL: The Church has submitted its new information to the Victorian parliamentary inquiry, which is due to deliver its final report next month.

Frances Bell, Lateline.

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